Habs Dominate ASG Voting

Matt Bodenschatz | National Hockey League

Nov 26, 01:37 PM | Hype this story!

With all of the superstars spread out amongst the 15 Eastern Conference teams, it’s difficult to fathom that the Eastern Conference All Star Game starting lineup could consist exclusively of players from Montreal.

Alex Kovalev, Mon 339,994
Saku Koivu, Mon 336,927
Alex Tanguay, Mon 333,217
Sidney Crosby, Pit 249,377
Evgeni Malkin, Pit 203,895
Alex Ovechkin, Was 156,021
Alex Semin, Was 96,906
Marc Savard, Bos 80,567
Patrice Bergeron, Bos 75,116
Thomas Vanek, Buf 75,109
 
Andrei Markov, Mon 379,363
Mike Komisarek, Mon 341,022
Zdeno Chara, Bos 161,547
Sergei Gonchar, Pit 138,911
Mike Green, Pit 135,663
Ryan Whitney, Pit 119,976
Teppo Numinen, Buf 67,809
Kimmo Timonen, Phi 62,383
Tomas Kaberle, Tor 53,653
Wade Redden, NYR 38,871
 
Carey Price, Mon 369,458
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pit 154,254
Henrik Lundqvist, NYR 75,091
Ryan Miller, Buf 72,699
Tim Thomas, Bos 45,763

While this may be extremely exciting to the hometown Canadien fans, would it really benefit the NHL to have some non-All Star caliber players not just playing, but starting?

Considering that Alex Tanguay (ranked 52) and Saku Koivu (ranked 54) are the first to show up on the list of league leaders with 17 points and Alex Kovalev’s 15 points rank him 89th in the NHL in scoring, are these three players even All Star-worthy, let alone starter-worthy?

Now, I realize scoring isn’t the only indication of talent, but, for an All Star Game, the biggest Stars and the most skilled players should be showcased.

My problem comes not with these three making the team, as all are skilled players with strong reputations, but rather, it is with the players who won’t make it because of them.

And then, on defense, we see Mike Komisarek and Andrei Markov. Markov isn’t a stretch, with 15 points in 20 games from the blueline, but Komisarek couldn’t find the back of the net if he ran into it. His one point is the worst on Montreal’s blueline. Heck, Ryan O’Byrne has as many (imaginary) points from putting the puck in his own net! Why not just vote in Josh Gorges or Francis Bouillon?

I will say, however, that Carey Price has been all he was touted to be, and more. He certainly is deserving of an All Star spot.

How can the NHL trust its fans to make the best decisions for the All Star Game starting lineup when two players who haven’t even taken the ice yet this season due to injury – Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney – rank in the top six vote getters among defensemen?

What is happening just further proves how much of a joke the All Star Game really is.

Comments

  1. Brandon

    Nov 26, 02:12 PM

    Agreed that the game is turning into a sideshow, in all actuality the skills competition is more intresting and entertaining to watch. On the side note of Gonchar and Whitney, this is just typical NHL...lets get the vote out there for Orpik.

  2. Bobby

    Nov 26, 02:48 PM

    In defense of Gonchar and Whitney, why shouldn’t they make the team, Niedermayer sat on the shelf for half the season and then pushed some worthy defenseman out of the game when he got the nod. That being said Orpik already has my vote and I plan on making a push on the voting site to stuff the ballot for our boys.

  3. TheOneandOnlySurge

    Nov 26, 02:53 PM

    Gonchar being on the ballot is probably because of how many times he gets passed up, even though he has been one of the top defensman in points since before the lockout. The easiest way to solve this issue is to only allow people to vote once. Force them to create an account and verify that account before they can vote.

    On a side note, I think that the Montreal guys being up there is because someone used a computer to auto vote over and over again. Because the day the polls opened these guys had a huge lead. They had 300,000 + before anyone else even hit 20,000. That seems to be odd, and now you have to enter text to verify your human and not an auto voting machine.

  4. Matt Bodenschatz

    Nov 26, 03:05 PM

    Bobby, I agree that, if Niedermayer could make it, so can these two, but it’s just dumb. There should be a minimum number of games played to make the starting lineup. Period.

    Surge, I think you underestimate the drastic improvement Gonchar made last season. He was considered to be a snub for the Norris Trophy by several respected journalists last season, and he was the anchor on one of the best defenses in the second half of the season and into the playoffs.

  5. Chad

    Nov 26, 03:06 PM

    I realize it’s a hoax right now. But scrap the All-Star format. Montreal vs the NHL All-Stars.

  6. Bobby

    Nov 26, 03:18 PM

    Agreed

  7. THEONEANDONLYSURGE

    Nov 26, 03:47 PM

    Matt, Gonch made a drastic improvement defensively but hes always been a potent offensive defensman. Look at the numbers for defensman going back to 2000. You will find Gonch at the top of the list every year. It just took the guys that long to realize how talented he was and add him to the ballot.

  8. Bobby

    Nov 26, 04:07 PM

    I think the system itself is flawed. There shouldn’t be a preset list of candidates. It allows for people to only vote for the more popular players. Every vote should have to be a right in. I’m not saying that Gonchar and whitney aren’t all-stars, but if they where not on the list, chances are most Penguins fans would have chosen Orpik and Letang. By the way, I’m gonna throw in a couple of votes for Scuderi, we need to show him some love for all he does (ALOT) as far as our team defense goes.

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